The Allure of Darkness
by Erin Salvatore
Summary: AU/AH. Caroline Forbes was ten years old when she was saved from a fire by a mysterious Good Samaritan. 13 years later, while living in Chicago, she decides to look for him and thank him for what he did. Her search leads her to a troubled artist named Klaus Mikaelson. But, what happens when Caroline starts to fall in love with Klaus despite being engaged to be married?
1. Chapter 1

**The Allure of Darkness**

**by Erin Salvatore**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Okay, I was originally going to do a series of one-shots, but a different idea popped into my mind while I was asleep. This is an AU/AH and the plot is this: Caroline Forbes was saved from a fire that killed her parents when she was ten by a Good Samaritan. Throughout her life, she is mystified by his idenity and longs to find him. Her search leads her to a troubled artist named Klaus Mikaelson.**_

_**Don't ask, just follow along on this strange journey my muse is sending me on.**_

**Chapter 1**

_Mystic Falls Medical Center – After the Fire..._

**C**aroline Forbes clutched onto the teddy bear the hospital staff had given her, rocking back and forth. Her young life as she knew it was forever changed just hours ago, when her house was engulfed in flames. That was a lot for a girl of ten to endure, and the thing she didn't quite understand was how she survived and her parents didn't. She tried to ask what happened, but no one could really give her a straight answer.

She was still thinking about it when the door to her room opened and a woman walked in, dressed in a black suit dress and matching pumps. Caroline scowled at her curiously, not sure what to make of it. The woman smiled at her and tried to give off a motherly vibe, but Caroline couldn't see past the suit.

"Hello, Caroline," she said. "I'm Lydia Thatcher."

Caroline slowly nodded at her. "Hi."

Lydia saw the girl scowling at her again, thinking that she wanted to know why she was here. "I'm here from the Department of Children and Family Services. They told me to come for you."

Now, Caroline was really confused. Why would this woman want to take her? "Why? Am I in trouble or something?"

"No, sweetheart, you're not in trouble," said Lydia. "I'm here to help you find a new home and a new family. According to what they gave me, you don't have any other relatives that can take you in." She saw the panic in the little girl's eyes. "You're going to be okay, Caroline."

Caroline didn't quite believe her, but she had no other choice but to trust her. After all, there was really nothing left for her in Mystic Falls anymore. Lydia then placed a bag on the bed, which contained fresh clothes for Caroline to wear. Reluctantly, she took the bag and went toward the bathroom to change. When she was half way there, she turned and looked at Lydia.

"Did they find him yet?"

"Find who, Caroline?"

"The man who saved me," she replied. "I want to know if they found him."

Lydia didn't quite understand, but decided to answer anyway. "No, Caroline, they haven't found him. Why do you want them to find him?"

"I wanted to thank him," said Caroline. "He made sure I got out of the house and he was gone before they put me in the ambulance." She sighed. "But, if they haven't found him, it's okay. I guess he doesn't want to be found."

That being said, Caroline opened the door to the bathroom, walked in, and shut the door. A few minutes later, she returned, wearing the fresh clothes Lydia had given her. While it was good to have fresh clothes, it still felt strange. Her innocence was taken from her in one fell swoop and now, she was going to have to go on without her parents. Where would she go? What sort of direction would her life take now that she was going to be living somewhere else and with people that she had never met before?

These and other questions went through her mind as Caroline then took Lydia's hand and let her lead her out of the room. After what seemed like forever, they got out to the parking lot, Caroline got into Lydia's car and they drove away, off to the Family Services main office.

As they drove off, neither Lydia nor Caroline were aware that a man was watching them from the bushes outside the hospital. He had been there since the ambulance arrived and no one knew. Had Lydia not taken Caroline away, he would've shown himself and let her thank him for saving her from the fire.

"I hope you have a good life, Caroline," he said quietly. "Maybe our paths will cross one day."

_**Note: With that, another AU/AH begins. Don't worry, Caroline will meet Klaus again, but not until she's older. Until then, enjoy this first chapter!**_

_**Reviews are love!**_


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: Previously, in "The Allure of Darkness," 10-year-old Caroline is taken to Family Services to begin her new life and asks if they found the man who saved her.**_

_**Wow, three reviews, that is AWESOME! I just got the idea for the next chapter and I wanted to include it. No spoilers, just read what I have here.**_

_Chicago, Illinois – 13 Years Later..._

**T**he sun seemed to shine brightly in the sky, its rays cascading in through the bedroom window of her apartment as Caroline slept somewhat soundly. However, she groaned in her sleep, tossing and turning, and even swung her hands around, which hit her fiance, Damon Salvatore, in the face as he slept behind her. He opened his eyes and then gently nudged her.

"Caroline, wake up, babe. You're having a bad dream."

Caroline gasped and sat up, her heart hammering as she looked all around her. When she saw that she was still in her apartment, she calmed herself down and then looked at Damon. "Oh God, Damon, I just don't know why, but I had that dream again."

Damon nodded, knowing exactly which dream she was referring to. "The one about the fire that killed your parents?"

"Yes, that's it exactly," said Caroline. "It's always the same. I'm ten years old again and I'm trying to get out of the house. Then, this man shows up and picks me up, carries me to safety. I then ask him who he is and he won't tell me." She ran a hand through her hair. "Shit, I've been trying to figure this out for the past thirteen years, but I get frustrated every time."

"Hey, don't worry about it," said Damon. "Maybe you'll find the guy who saved you all those years ago."

"You don't think I'm crazy?"

"If I did, I would've bolted a long time ago," said Damon. "But, seeing as how we're engaged to be married, the answer is safely no." He pulled her to him and kissed her softly, running his fingers through her hair. "I love you, Caroline."

Caroline smiled against his lips and returned his kiss. "I love you too, Damon." She kissed him again and let her tongue slide into his mouth. "God, I wish we could just stay in bed all day."

Damon moaned as he felt her tongue dance against his, pulling away from her lips to trail kisses down her neck to the valley between her breasts. "I wish that too. But, unfortunately, I have to get to work, and _you_ have to go to school."

Caroline groaned. She was currently attending Chicago-Kent Law School, where she was working toward getting a degree. She even did some paralegal work twice a week at a firm in the city known as the Hoffman Firm, which handled a variety of cases, criminal and civil alike. Damon was a partner there, and that was how they met three years ago.

"I don't want to go to school today," she said. "I want to play hooky." She gazed into his blue eyes with hers. "Damon, can't you call in sick?"

"I wish I could, but I've got a new client that I meeting with today," said Damon. "Tell you what, though, I'll make it up to you. Tonight, we'll go out for dinner and dancing." He kissed the side of her right breast. "How's that sound, _amore mia_?"

The second he said, "my love" in Italian, Caroline felt herself instantly. Shit, the power he had over her was unbelievable, and she didn't know how she ever got through a day without him. The other paralegals at the firm had told her that he was quite persuasive and judging how he was in the bedroom, she'd safely say that she agreed with them.

"That sounds wonderful," she said. "I look forward to it."

Damon smiled at her and moved up to kiss her again, nibbling on her bottom lip before releasing her from his hold and getting up to head to the bathroom to shower. Caroline reluctantly got out of bed and went to her closet to find something to wear while waiting for Damon to get out of the shower. It was times like this that she wished that she lived in one of those posh mansions in the suburbs outside of the city. At least she'd have plenty of closet space in which to put her clothes. Damon had one such mansion and he hadn't asked her to move in with him, mostly because he was a strict traditionalist and didn't believe in cohabitation before marriage.

_And yet, he usually spends the night at my place,_ she thought. _Then again, I did give him an extra key so that he could let himself in. I know it's not quite the same as cohabitation, but still, this place is sort of like a second home for him._

Deciding not to worry about it for right now, Caroline searched through the closet until she came upon a navy blue suit dress that she had gotten the last time she went shopping. Most days, she wore dresses to school, and today was definitely a dress kind of day. She needed to do something to take her mind off the dream. And yet, there was something about it that intrigued her. Just who _was_ the mysterious Good Samaritan that saved her life thirteen years ago? She had tried asking Lydia Thatcher, the social worker she met at the hospital in Mystic Falls, if he had been found, but she said no.

Caroline was tempted to call Lydia and ask her again, but felt that she'd get the same response she got then. While she said that it was okay that they didn't find the guy, something told her that she would have to find him on her own. Hell, Damon's brother, Stefan, was a detective on the Chicago Police, and he had told Caroline that if she ever needed a favor, all she had to do was call him and ask him.

_I know what I'm going to be doing on my lunch break today,_ she thought. _I'll call Stefan and ask him to help me find the Good Samaritan that saved me from the fire. He's a detective after all, and detectives are supposed to help those who need it._

No sooner did Caroline finish that thought than Damon came into the room from the shower. He smiled at her and then went to the drawer, where he kept spare clothes for when he spent the night. When he got what he was looking for, he closed the drawer and then turned to see Caroline looking at him.

"What?"

Caroline laughed slightly. "Nothing. Just admiring how sexy you look with that towel wrapped around you. Makes me want to tear it off, push you onto the bed, and never let you leave."

"Don't tempt me, _amore mia_," said Damon. "The other paralegals at the firm already think you're a bad influence on me."

Caroline smiled and, kissing him on the cheek, she went to the bathroom, closing the door behind her.

_**Note: Yep, here is Chapter 2 of my new story. Caroline is with Damon for now, mainly because I still secretly ship Daroline, and I'm not a Forwood shipper. Don't worry, the arrangement won't be permanent. Stay tuned, because I will introduce Klaus in either the next chapter or the chapter after that. Either way, I'll bring him in.**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: Previously, in "The Allure of Darkness," Caroline tells Damon about the dream/memory about being saved by the Good Samaritan from her past.**_

_**Wow, fourteen reviews, that is AWESOME! Just for that, I'm going to update, having gotten an idea for it just now.**_

_Downtown Chicago – Later that Day..._

**S**tefan Salvatore sat at the table at the cafe, waiting for his future sister-in-law to arrive. She had called him earlier, telling him that she wanted to meet with him. When he asked her what it was about, she said it was important and didn't give any other details, which made him go into detective mode, wondering if anything was wrong and she just wasn't telling him.

Before long, Caroline arrived and sat down across from him. "Hey, Stefan. Have you been waiting long?"

"No, I just got here," he replied. "So, what's going on? Your phone call was a bit vague. You and Damon aren't having problems, are you? If you are, I could straighten him out for you and tell him that he needs to shape up or ship out."

Caroline shook her head. "No, we're fine. The reason I called was because I need your help finding someone. See, I had that dream again, about the fire and the man that saved my life. I tried to forget about him, but I just...want to find him."

"I see," said Stefan. "Any particular reason? Or do you just want to stalk the guy?"

"I want to meet him, thank him if I could," said Caroline. "I also want him to know that I'm okay, and that I've had a good life, even though I was shuffled around from foster home to foster home until I was fifteen."

Stefan mused on Caroline's request. He had heard these kinds of stories before, from people like her who wanted to find the ones who had saved their lives, either by donating a kidney or rescuing them from fires.

"I won't lie to you, Care, this isn't going to be easy," he said. "Chicago is a big city. This guy could be _anywhere_."

"I know, but I can't let that stop me from finding him," said Caroline. "Please, Stefan? I really need your help with this. I can't do this alone." She gently placed a hand on her future brother-in-law's hand. "You wouldn't turn down family, would you?"

Stefan sighed as he heard her say this. _Shit, she had to play the family card, didn't she? That's one of my weaknesses._

"Okay, Care, I'll help you. Give me a description of the guy and I'll give it to the sketch artist."

Caroline smiled. She knew that if she played the family card, he'd crack. Clearing her throat, she said, "Well, he's tall, has dark blonde hair that's slightly curly, greenish blue eyes, and he has stubble on his face."

"How tall is he? Do you remember?"

"He was pretty tall, Stefan," said Caroline. "I was a little girl when I first saw him, and he seemed to be a giant next to me."

"Just give me a rough estimate," said Stefan. "It doesn't have to be an exact figure, just an approximate number we can work with."

Caroline nodded. "About six one, maybe six two. Is that good enough?"

"That's fine," said Stefan. "When I get back to the station, I'll have the sketch artist work on it and we'll go from there." He raised an eyebrow. "Does _Damon_ know you're doing this?"

"Yes," said Caroline. "In fact, he practically encouraged me."

Stefan nodded. He didn't quite believe her, but didn't say anything to that extent as he got up from the table and walked away. Once he was gone, Caroline heard her phone ring. She reached into her purse and looked at the ID. When she saw Damon's number, she smiled and pressed "SEND," putting the phone by her ear.

"Hey, sexy."

"Hey, yourself," he replied. "Where are you?"

"Downtown," said Caroline. "I met Stefan at the cafe because I wanted to talk to him about something."

"Would that something be your Good Samaritan?"

"Yeah," said Caroline. "I gave him a description so that he could give it to the sketch artist." She ran a hand through her hair. "Damon, am I chasing a lost cause here? I mean, there could be hundreds of guys who meet the description I just gave."

"Caroline, it doesn't matter what I think," said Damon. "You're doing this for closure. Not a lot of people can do what you're doing. You're the most determined woman I've ever met and if this search doesn't end the way you want it, then at least you'll know you tried." He didn't give her a chance to reply as he said, "How about I take off work early and we'll do what we talked about this morning as we were making out in bed."

Hearing him say that made Caroline laugh and she covered her mouth when she saw people looking at her. Clearing her throat, she said, "I hope you realize that you just made me embarrass myself in public, Counselor."

Damon laughed slightly on his end. "I am a bad boy, aren't I? I guess I'll have to let you punish me for it later."

Caroline rolled her eyes. She said yes to this? "All right, Damon, it's a date."

With that, she hung up and got up from where she was sitting. She knew that she was probably blowing off her next class, but she didn't care. Damon was leaving work early so that they could go out, and that was the only thing that really mattered at that moment.

_That Evening..._

The first thing Caroline noticed when she walked into the restaurant with Damon was that it was completely empty, save for them and the staff. Raising an eyebrow, Caroline looked at him.

"Damon, why are we the only ones here?"

Damon smiled at her. "I bought the place out for the night." He kissed her softly. "It's just you and me."

Caroline smiled against his lips and returned his kiss. "I can't believe you actually did this. I know that you wanted to make up for having to leave this morning, but you didn't have to buy out the entire restaurant for a night."

"I wanted to," said Damon. "I'm the kind of guy who would do anything for the woman he loves." He took her hand. "Come on, let's get a table. Since the place is ours tonight, we can have our pick of any table we want."

Caroline giggled as she let him lead her to a booth near the back, where he pulled her close to him and kissed her. Caroline returned his kiss and moaned against his mouth as his tongue danced with hers. A few minutes passed before they broke the kiss and just looked into each other's eyes. Just then, the silence was shattered by Caroline's phone ringing. Excusing herself, she picked it up and looked at the ID, seeing Stefan's number. That's funny, she just spoke with him this afternoon. Why was he calling her? She put the phone to her ear and pressed "SEND."

"Stefan?"

"I know you're with Damon right now and that I'm probably going to catch hell for interrupting what you're doing," he said. "But, we found someone matching the description you gave me."

"What?" said Caroline. "I gave you that description this afternoon. How the hell did it get a match that quickly?"

"The joys of technology make everything faster these days."

Caroline looked at Damon and said, "Who matched the description?"

"An artist by the name of Klaus Mikaelson," said Stefan. "He moved here to Chicago about three years ago. His apartment is about three blocks down from yours. Apparently, he's been living close by and you never knew it."

"Thank you, Stefan," said Caroline. "I'm going to owe you big for this."

"Yes, you are," said Stefan. "I'll let you go so that Damon doesn't think I'm stealing you away from him. Good luck, Caroline."

Caroline smiled as she hung up the phone. How incredible was that? Her Good Samaritan lived three blocks from her apartment and he was an artist. She made a mental note to visit him very soon. Putting her phone away, she maintained her smile as she looked at Damon again.

Before she could say anything, he said, "My brother is very efficient, it seems."

"Apparently," she replied. "And it seems that my Good Samaritan moved here three years ago and lives three blocks down from me. That could mean that he wanted to be close and yet not too close." She shook her head. "But, he's not what the one I'm focusing on tonight. Tonight, I'm going to focus on my sexy fiance."

Damon smiled and kissed her.

_**Note: How's that for an update, huh? Next chapter, she'll meet with Klaus. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "The Allure of Darkness," Caroline meets with Stefan and asks him to help her find the Good Samaritan that saved her life. He calls her that same evening and tells her that the description she gave him matches an artist named Klaus Mikaelson.**_

_**Thank you for the great reviews so far! You guys are awesome! I just got an idea for the next chapter and I want to update! No spoilers, you'll have to read to find out what I'm about to do. And to answer a question by a guest reviewer in regard to Klaus' age, Klaus is probably thirty-six now, which meant he was twenty-three (the age Caroline is now) the night of the fire. Hope that answers your question.**_

_**ON WITH THE UPDATE!**_

_Next Afternoon..._

**H**er heart hammered in her chest as Caroline rode in the elevator. She glanced down at the piece of paper in her hand that had the apartment that Klaus lived in. While it still puzzled her how the description she gave Stefan got a match in such amount of time, it didn't really matter because she was going to be meeting her Good Samaritan face to face after thirteen years. The one question that stuck out in her mind was, would he remember her when he saw her? After all, she was a little girl the night of the fire, so it was unlikely that he'd even remember her.

_Only one way to find out,_ she thought. _I'll go to his apartment and I'll tell him who I am. Hopefully, he'll remember me._

When the elevator stopped on the fifth floor, Caroline got off and walked down the hallway, her pulse racing with every step. In that moment, she felt like she was meeting a foreign dignantary or something, even though Klaus was just an artist.

After what seemed like a lengthy trek, Caroline came to 5M, the apartment that was listed on the paper in her hand. _How ironic,_ she thought. _His last name is Mikaelson and he lives at apartment 5M. Will the wonders never cease?_

She went to knock on the door, but it came open before her fist made contact with it. Scowling curiously, Caroline walked into the apartment, gently closing the door behind her. She looked around at the décor and noticed several different paintings either hanging on the wall or standing up against the furniture. Oh, yeah, there was no mistaking the fact that an artist lived here.

"Hello? Klaus? Are you here?"

No answer. That was weird. The door was open and yet, it was deathly quiet. She then heard some soft music coming from another room and walked in, looking all around for any sign of Klaus.

As she scanned the room, she saw some more paintings, most of which were either finished, close to being finished, or they were works in progress. She finally came to a wall at the end of the room, where she saw a very peculiar sight: a canvas with a painting that was obviously in the beginning stages. Caroline carefully approached it and gazed at it, wondering what the subject was, or rather, _who_ the subject was.

She was still looking at it when she felt someone grab her wrist. With a frightened gasp, she turned around and she came face to face with Klaus Mikaelson himself, shirtless and wearing dark blue jeans with a slight hole in the left knee.

"What are you doing here?"

Caroline went to speak, but found herself rendered speechless by the rich British accent that came out of his mouth, which seemed to go perfectly with the gorgeous chest in front of her. Hell, if she wasn't so nervous right now, she'd reach out and touch it with her hand.

When she didn't answer him, he asked again, a bit more forceful this time, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm looking for Klaus Mikaelson." Caroline knew this was a stupid answer, but she couldn't stand there and not say anything at all.

Klaus eyed her curiously. "You found him. Who are you and what do you want? If you're a Jehovah's Witness, I'm not interested."

Caroline shook her head. "I'm not a Jehovah's Witness. My name is Caroline Forbes, and I live three blocks away. I'm here because I got your address from Detective Stefan Salvatore on the Chicago Police. You see, I was saved from a fire when I was ten years old by a Good Samaritan and I wanted to find the man who saved my life so that I could meet him and possibly thank him."

Klaus listened to her as she spoke. He couldn't believe it, this was the girl he rescued from the fire in Mystic Falls all those years ago? She had definitely grown into quite a beauty. Caroline noticed how quiet he had gotten.

"Are you okay?"

Klaus nodded. "I'm fine. I am curious, though. You said that you wanted to meet me and thank me for saving you. Why now?"

"I wanted you to know that I'm okay," said Caroline. "Granted, it was a rocky start in the beginning because I was still scarred from losing my parents, but it got better as I got older. I was in several different foster homes until I found a permanent home when I was fifteen. The people who adopted me gave me a good life."

Klaus nodded again, even though he barely heard a word she was saying. He was admiring how beautiful she was, and the way her long, blonde hair framed her face. She was an angel on earth if ever there was one. Klaus also noticed the ring on her finger and became somewhat envious of the lucky bastard who gave it to her.

Caroline saw how distracted Klaus and decided to change the subject, looking around again at the paintings. "I like your paintings, Klaus. You're very talented."

"Thank you," he replied. "I've been working on most of them for weeks." He pointed to the one she had been looking at when he walked in. "I'm only just beginning on this one."

"I'm sure it'll be a great painting when it's done," said Caroline. "Have you sold any of your other paintings? I don't mean to sound like I'm prying or anything, I'm just curious."

"I've sold a few of them and I've made a bit of money," said Klaus. "They're hanging in museums and galleries. One of my landscapes is hanging in the Hermitage." He smiled for the first time since they started talking. "Has anyone ever painted you?"

Caroline blinked. "What?"

"I asked if anyone has ever painted you," said Klaus. "You look like you could be the perfect subject."

Caroline was confused by all this. He wanted to paint her? She had to admit, she hadn't expected him to ask her a question like that. Her eyes then looked toward his bare chest again and she noticed a rather unique tattoo just near his shoulder, a feather with a flock of birds flying into it. So, her Good Samaritan was an artist with a British accent and had a feather tattoo on his chest. That wasn't a bad combination, if she did say so herself.

_My Good Samaritan is a hottie,_ she thought. _I better not tell Damon that, though, or he'd get jealous._

"I've never been painted by anyone," she replied. "But, I'd love to be painted by someone as talented as you." She cleared her throat. "I'd have to talk it over with my fiance first, though. I wouldn't want him to think I was doing this behind his back."

Klaus nodded, looking at her ring again. "He's a lucky man to be marrying someone as remarkable as you."

"Yes, but I think I'm the lucky one," said Caroline. "He could've picked any woman he wanted, and he chose me." She smiled. "Like I said, I'd love to be painted by you, Klaus." She looked at her watch and bit back a curse. She was running late for an appointment. "I'd hate to cut this short, but I've got to run."

Klaus nodded and let go of her wrist, remembering that he had been holding it the whole time. Truth be told, he regretted it instantly. He wanted her to stay, since it had been quite a while since he last had company, but at the same time, he couldn't force her.

"Can I walk you to the door?"

Caroline smiled at his question. "I'd like that, thank you."

Klaus nodded and they both walked to the door together. As they walked, he stole glances at her, captivated by her beauty. He was tempted to run his fingers through her hair and kiss her lips. He even wanted to caress her body as they lay naked in his bed after a night of wild, passionate, primal sex, gazing into those beautiful blue eyes. Her beauty seemed to rival that of Aphrodite, a personal favorite goddess of his. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that Caroline was Aphrodite in the flesh.

When they got to the door, Klaus smiled as he opened it for her. Caroline reluctantly walked toward it, but before she was half way out, she turned to look at Klaus again.

"It was great to finally meet you, Klaus," she said. "Thank you for saving me that night."

"No need to thank me, love," he replied. "Knowing that you're alive and well is all the thanks I need."

Caroline nodded. "Well, I guess I'll see you around." She took out a paper and wrote her cell number down on it, giving it to him. "Here's my cell number so that you can call me."

Klaus took the slip of paper from her and then handed her a card with his number on it. "Since we're exchanging numbers, I thought I'd give you mine as well."

Caroline nodded again and, after thanking Klaus again, she walked out of the apartment. Once she was gone, Klaus closed the door and locked it, heading to the room with the painting he had started on. He looked on the wall next to it, which contained newspaper clippings that he had saved over the years, the first of which was about the fire he had saved Caroline from. He often had nightmares about that night, and he had a burn mark on his shoulder from when a piece of wood fell on him as he rescued her from the house. While it wasn't a serious burn, it still left a scar.

_**Note: Klaus and Caroline have met. I was tempted to have them kiss as Caroline was leaving, but I stopped myself from including it because it's too soon. But, that doesn't mean they won't kiss later on, though. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: Previously, in "The Allure of Darkness," Caroline finally meets Klaus, who expresses an interest in painting her.**_

_**Thank you so much for the reviews so far! You guys are awesome! No spoilers, except the action takes place three days later.**_

_The Hoffman Firm – 3 Days Later..._

**C**aroline noticed just how busy it was when she reported for her usual paralegal work and found herself wondering just how hell Damon put up with it every time he came to work. Speaking of her dashing fiance, she still hadn't told him about what she and Klaus discussed. It wasn't that she didn't want to tell him, which she did, but it was next to impossible to speak to him when he was nose deep in work. She sighed heavily as she walked into her office and took a seat in the swivel chair in front of her desk. No sooner did she sit down than her assistant, Bonnie Bennett, walked in.

Caroline raised an eyebrow at her. "Yes, Bonnie?"

"There's someone here to see you," she replied. "He says his name Klaus."

Caroline's eyes went wide. _Shit, what the hell is he doing here? What if Damon were to see him? I haven't told him about what we discussed yet. Damn it, talk about bad timing. I guess there's no harm in seeing him._

Bonnie noticed how quiet Caroline had gotten. "Caroline? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," said the blonde replied. "I just...wasn't expecting him to show up." She sighed. "Let him in, Bonnie. If anyone asks, tell them that he's a friend of mine from school."

Truth be told, Caroline wasn't sure _what_ Klaus was to her yet, since she only just met him the other day. She saw him walk in several minutes later, looking better than he did a few days ago, if that was even possible.

She got up from her desk and closed the door so that they could have privacy, returning to her desk and sitting down. Klaus then sat in one of the chairs across from her desk, even though she didn't ask him to sit.

"Klaus, what the hell is wrong with you? You can't just show up here."

"My apologies, love," he replied. "I merely wanted to see you and apologize for startling you when we met the other day."

"You could've_ called_ me and done that," said Caroline. "Though, I do accept your apology." Sighing, she added, "Was there anything else you wanted or was apologizing to me the only reason you came by today?"

"Have you spoken to your fiance about me painting you?"

"I keep trying, but he's just been so damn busy with his case load," said Caroline. "It's a wonder I get to talk to him for five minutes. I thought I'd be able to tell him today, but he's going to be in court all day because of this case he's trying."

"Ah, a lawyer's work is never done," said Klaus. "When one case ends, another one begins."

"Yeah, and it makes me wonder if I'm going to be ready for it once I get my degree."

"Degree?" said Klaus. "You mean you're not a lawyer?"

"Not yet," said Caroline. "I go to Chicago-Kent Law School, and I do paralegal work here twice a week. Damon is a partner here and that's basically how I was able to secure a job here. Hopefully, it'll still be available when I graduate."

"You never know."

Caroline was about to answer him when she saw Damon walking past her office. He couldn't be done with his case already, could he? Excusing herself from Klaus for a minute, Caroline exited her office and after Damon, catching up to him by the conference room.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were going to be in court?"

"I did too," he replied. "But, the second I get there, I find out my client decided to settle. Can you believe it? I busted my ass for that bitch and she has the gall to tell me that she's going to settle instead of pursuing the case? What the hell did she even come to me if that was going to happen?"

Caroline gently grabbed his arms. "Hey, hey, calm down. It's not the end of the world, Damon. I know how hard you worked on that case and I'm proud of you." She leaned in and kissed him softly, not giving a shit if anyone saw them. "I love you, and it doesn't matter to me if you won or lost, because you're always a winner to me."

Damon forced a smile at that and returned her kiss. "Thank you, Caroline. I love you too."

Caroline kissed him again. "Hey, uh, there's someone I'd like you to meet."

"Really? Who?"

Caroline smiled as she tugged on his arm, leading him away from the conference room, hoping that Klaus was still in her office. Thankfully, he hadn't left, which was a relief because this would've been a big failure if he had.

"Damon Salvatore, this is Klaus Mikaelson, the man who saved my life thirteen years ago. Klaus, this is my fiance, Damon."

"A pleasure, mate," said Klaus. "You're a lucky man to be getting her as your wife."

"Thanks. I'm very lucky indeed," said Damon. "So, Klaus, what do you do when you're not saving beautiful women like my Caroline?"

"I'm an artist," said Klaus. "I've sold a few of my pieces to galleries and museums." He smiled. "As a matter of fact, I expressed an interest in possibly painting Caroline here. It'll be done professionally and tastefully, of course."

Damon looked at Caroline and then back at Klaus. "You want to paint her?"

"Of course," said Klaus. "She'd make a marvelous subject."

"I wanted to tell you about it, but you were always so wrapped up in your work," said Caroline. "So, what do you think? You could hang it in your office and look at it every day."

Damon said nothing as he considered what he was hearing. Although he just met the guy, Klaus seemed like a professional and a man of his word. After a moment of thinking about it, he decided that if this was what Caroline wanted to do, then he'd let her do it.

"All right," he said. "If this is what you want, then go for it."

Caroline smiled. "Thank you, Damon. You'll _definitely_ like the results."

Klaus listened to the couple and smiled as well. He couldn't wait to get started, especially since he already had something special in mind.

_**Note: Chapter 5 is complete! Wonder what Klaus could possibly have in mind for Caroline? Stay tuned and find out.**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: Previously, in "The Allure of Darkness," Caroline gets an unexpected visit from Klaus and after she introduces him to Damon, Klaus mentions that he'd like to paint Caroline, to which Damon agrees only when Caroline tells him that he'd like the results.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews so far! You're awesome! No spoilers, except the action takes place a week later.**_

_1 Week Later..._

**C**aroline stepped off the elevator with a smile on her face, and for good reason. Today, Klaus was going to paint her. As she made her way to his apartment, her shoes and her heartbeat seemed to echo each other. She told herself that there was nothing to worry about, that Klaus was a professional and would keep his word.

It didn't take her too long to reach 5M, and she gently knocked on the door. Klaus answered after a few minutes and smiled when he saw Caroline standing there.

"Ah, my subject has arrived."

"Hey, Klaus," she replied. "I hope you don't mind that I'm a little early. I took a personal day off work so that I could come here."

"Oh no, not at all," said Klaus. "I'm just glad that you're here." He took her hand and gently pulled her into the apartment, closing the door behind her. "Come, I'll show you the canvas I'll be using for you."

Caroline smiled as she let him lead her through the apartment and to the room with the canvas that had the painting he was starting on. She blinked in surprise and looked at him. "Is that the canvas you're going to be using?"

"Actually, that's a new one," said Klaus. "I put the other one away. I didn't want two of them in the same room, or I'll get distracted as I'm doing your painting." He looked at her outfit. "You look stunning today, Caroline."

Caroline looked down at herself. "Klaus, I'm in a T-shirt and jeans."

"It doesn't matter," said Klaus. "You're still beautiful." He smiled. "How comfortable are you with being naked?"

Caroline raised an eyebrow. "Huh?"

"I'm going to paint you in the nude," said Klaus. "But, I wanted to know how comfortable you are with being naked."

"I'm pretty comfortable with it," said Caroline. "Damon sees me naked whenever we make love." She noticed that Klaus' smile faded. "Oh my God, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned him. It's not fair to you that I'm talking about him in front of you."

"It's all right, love," said Klaus. "I knew you meant nothing by it." He nodded toward the bathroom. "You can change in there. I'll have everything ready by the time you come back."

Caroline nodded and let go of his hand, walking out of the room. However, she looked over her shoulder and noticed something on the wall by the canvas. Were those...newspaper clippings? She saw that one was about the fire her parents died in, as well as a few others. Had Klaus been stalking her over the years? Instead of saying something, she went to the bathroom to change out of her clothes. She was tempted to ask about the clippings, but decided against it, thinking that he probably had his reasons for keeping them.

When she returned a few minutes later, she had a robe on. Klaus smiled at her and, walking over to her, he placed her onto the chaise lounge he had set up for her. "Take off the robe, love. You won't be needing it."

Caroline nodded and untied the sash on the robe and once she had slipped it off, she let it pool onto the floor. When she went to position herself on the lounge, she posed like Cleopatra, which brought another smile to Klaus' face. He then began the preliminary sketch for the painting, making sure that he got every detail of her body just right, having promised that he'd do this tastefully and professionally. Caroline tried to ignore her pounding heart as she watched Klaus go about his task. It wasn't that she didn't trust him, which she did, but she was a bit nervous, since she had never done something like this before.

Once the sketch was done, Klaus smiled at her again. "That pose is perfect, Caroline."

"It is?"

"Of course," he replied. "Cleopatra was a very beautiful woman in her time. It was no wonder that she attracted Julius Caesar and later Marc Antony."

Caroline said nothing to that. Of course, how could she respond to that? While it was true what he was saying, it was still puzzling. "And this will be done tastefully, as per your agreement?"

"I'm a man of my word, love," said Klaus. "You shall be portrayed in the most tasteful way imaginable."

_Several Hours Later..._

Caroline still felt her heart pound as Klaus walked her to the door after they were finished. The one thing that stood out for her was the odd newspaper clipping collection on the wall by the canvas. She struggled with keeping quiet about it and asking about it.

"Klaus, there's something that I wanted to ask you."

"Caroline, relax, the painting will be tasteful."

"Not about the painting," she replied. "I'm talking about the newspaper clippings I saw on the wall by the canvas. One of them was about the fire you saved me from, as well as others. Klaus, were you...keeping tabs on me?"

"If by keeping tabs, you mean stalking you, the answer is no," said Klaus. Believe me, I was only collecting them because...well, I guess you could say that ever since I saved your life, I've been wondering what kind of life you were having. So, in addition to checking up on you with each foster home you were sent to, I collected clippings immortalizing some sort of achievement, including the beauty pageants you took part in and won as a teenager."

He saw that Caroline was stunned, he carefully caressed her face with his hand. "Though, it was nothing compared to seeing you face to face."

Caroline went to speak, but never got to form her words, because she felt Klaus' lips capture hers in a soft kiss. When the initial shock wore off, she returned the kiss, moaning softly as their tongues collided. Although she knew this was wrong, it felt kind of right at the same time. When they broke the kiss a few minutes later, Caroline looked into his greenish blue eyes with her blue ones.

"Thank you, Klaus. Good luck with the painting."

With that, she hurried out of the door before he kissed her again.

_**Note: On that note, I shall end Chapter 6. The first Klaroline kiss of the story! I don't know about you guys, but I think this ups the ante a bit. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "The Allure of Darkness," Klaus surprises Caroline by saying that he wants to paint her in the nude. Later on, Caroline discovers that Klaus has been watching over her throughout her life.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews so far! You guys are awesome!**_

_Caroline's Apartment – That Evening..._

**C**aroline felt her head spinning as she walked into her apartment, closing the door behind her. She had just learned something about Klaus that she never knew before, and although it was better that she found out now instead of later, it still blew her away. Not only did save her life, but he also watched over her like a guardian angel.

Sighing heavily, she placed her purse down on the table and when she looked at her cell phone, she saw that she had a voice mail message. Curiously, she checked to see who it was and sure enough, it was Damon.

"_Hey, babe, it's me. I have the night off tonight, surprisingly, and I was wondering if you wanted to get together and have a little fun. Call me back and let know. Love you, bye."_

Caroline bit her lip as she listened to his velvety voice on other end. Part of her wanted to make the date with him, but the other part wanted to cancel, mostly because she wasn't sure if she'd be good company tonight, what with everything she learned at Klaus'. Deciding that she'd better call anyway, she dialed his number and waited patiently for him to pick up. On the third ring, Damon's voice was heard on the other end.

"Caroline?"

"Hi, Damon," she said. "I got your message just now. You know, about getting together tonight."

"I was wondering about that, because I sent that message an hour ago," said Damon. "So, did you want to? I could call the restaurant and buy it out, like I did the other night. Then, after dinner, I figured we could go to my place for a change and have a nightcap."

"Actually, Damon, I hate to do this to you, but I'm going to have to cancel," said Caroline. "I just want to be myself tonight."

"Why? What's wrong?"

"I'm fine," said Caroline. "I just want to have a night to myself, that's all."

"Oh, okay," said Damon. "Another time, then?"

Caroline could hear the disappointment in his voice and said, "I'm sorry, Damon. I love you, really, but sometimes, a lady needs some time for herself. We have the rest of our lives to be together, so I don't think a break would hurt us."

"You're right, Care, I suppose we could use a break. All that dining out and everything could get monotonous after a while," said Damon. "No problem, I'll call Stefan and see if he wants to hang out."

Caroline then hung up and went to her room to change into sweats and a tank top before heading to the kitchen to make some dinner for herself. Tonight's meal was a childhood favorite of hers: peanut butter and jelly and a glass of milk to wash it down. As she was eating, Caroline heard her cell phone ring. That couldn't be Damon, could it? They just agreed to take a break for the night. Her curiosity getting the better of her, Caroline picked up the phone and looked at the ID. When she saw Klaus' number, she was a bit confused. Why was he calling her?

She pressed "SEND" and brought the phone to her ear. "Klaus?"

"Hello, Caroline," he replied, his British accent practically oozing from his end. "I was calling to see if you got home all right."

"Yeah, I'm fine," said Caroline. "I just made myself some dinner." Curiously, she added, "Wait, how did you get my number? I don't even remember giving it to you."

"You didn't have to," said Klaus. "I took one of your business cards when I visited you at your office the other day."

Caroline licked her lips and said, "Listen, Klaus, that kiss you gave me..."

"Thinking about it, are you?" said Klaus. "I'm thinking about it too."

"Yeah, I'm thinking about it. I've been thinking about it ever since I left your apartment," said Caroline. "In fact, when I got home, I got a call from Damon and he wanted to see me tonight because it was his night off. I called him back and told him I needed a night to myself. Klaus, I lied to my fiance. I've _never_ lied to Damon before."

"I see I turned you into a bad girl with a single kiss."

"This isn't funny," said Caroline. "Damon and I have always been honest with each other, and now, because you kissed me, I lied to him for the first time in our relationship."

"It was just a kiss, love," said Klaus. "It wasn't like you were cheating on him."

"Maybe not now, but we have to be careful," said Caroline. "It might be just a kiss now, but pretty soon, it's going to escalate into something more, like dinner, dancing, and then...sex."

"You really _are_ a bad girl."

"Will you please be serious, Klaus?" said Caroline. "I may owe you big for everything you've done, but I'd be pushing it if I got involved with you, tempting as it is."

"We could do it discreetly."

"Yes, but for how long?" said Caroline. "How long could we keep it secret before Damon finds out about it?"

"We'll deal with it as it comes."

"Really?" said Caroline. "That's the best answer you can come up with? 'We'll deal with it as it comes'? Isn't coming off as being naïve?" She sighed. "All right, suppose we do 'deal with it as it comes.' I've seen the way Damon goes off when he either loses a case or a client doesn't show for an appointment. If he finds out that we're having an affair, chances are we'll have to face his wrath."

"That's a risk I'm willing to take," said Klaus. "I took a few when I saved you from that fire."

"That's true," said Caroline. "I guess I could take a risk or two."

She didn't wait for Klaus to respond and hung up. _Am I really willing to take a risk or two with Klaus? I mean, I love Damon, and yet, I'm having these impure thoughts about Klaus. Shit, this would be easier if relationships came with instruction manuals._

_**Note: Boy, things are really going to get complicated now, huh? Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: Previously, in "The Allure of Darkness," Caroline gets a rather curious phone call from Klaus upon returning home from visiting him.**_

_**Thank you for the great reviews! I thought I'd get an update in (the last update being April 10), so since I'm here, I'll treat you guys to an update. No spoilers, except the action takes place two weeks later and let's just say things are going to get interesting.**_

_Caroline's Apartment – 2 Weeks Later..._

**T**here was no mistaking the excitement she was feeling as Caroline twirled around in front of the mirror in her blue gown. Tonight was the big charity ball for the Cook County Children's Hospital that the Hoffman Firm was sponsoring. She and Damon had been attending the event every year and, since she felt a bit guilty about blowing him off two weeks ago, Caroline decided that it was only fair that they go again this year. Besides, it would help her unwind after the no doubt exhausting schedule that she had, and to possibly take her mind off Klaus for an evening. Speaking of, she hadn't heard from him since the night he called her, and although part of her was relieved, another part couldn't help but be a little concerned.

Before she could think about it, there was a knock at the door. Smiling, Caroline went to the door and before she opened it, she said, "Who is it?"

"It's Damon, my sweet."

With another smile, Caroline opened the door and was met with the irresistible blue eyes belonging to her dashing fiance, who then produced a corsage. "Flowers for the lady."

"Damon, you shouldn't have," she replied. "This is just a charity ball, not the prom."

"That's true, but we can _pretend_ that it is," said Damon. "After all, you _did_ say that you never went to your prom, right?"

Caroline's smile faded at that. She had _planned_ to go to her prom, but after she gotten home from school, she found her adoptive mother passed out on the floor and, after her attempt at CPR failed, she dialed 911. The ambulance arrived at the house in record time, but she died en route to the hospital. The tragedy hit Caroline so hard that she had to call her date and cancel. What should've been the most magical night of her young life turned out to be tragic. It was so tragic, in fact, that a sick feeling of deja vu hit her as she remembered that fateful night in Mystic Falls that shattered her innocence.

Damon noticed how quiet she was and said, "Caroline? Are you okay, babe?"

His question snapped her out of her reverie and Caroline looked at him. "Huh?"

"You zoned out there for a bit there and I asked if you were okay," said Damon. "Did you want to stay home tonight? We could order in and watch a movie if..."

"I'm fine, Damon," said Caroline. "I just had a bit of a flashback to prom night when you said that I never went to my prom." She sighed. "Besides, I want to make up for blowing you off two weeks ago, and what better way than to attend the charity ball that we've been gone to every year since we met?"

Damon nodded. "That's true." He smiled when he saw her dress. "Wow, you look beautiful tonight, Caroline. Then again, you _always_ look beautiful in anything you wear." He kissed her softly and took the corsage out of the box, placing it on her wrist. "There, now you _really_ look beautiful."

Caroline looked at the corsage and returned his smile. "Thank you, Damon. Now, what do you say we get going before I decide to take you into my room and have my way with you?"

Damon nodded again and taking her arm, led her out of the apartment, eager to get to the ball so that he could show her off, like he did so many times before.

_Cook County Children's Hospital Charity Ball – 1 Hour Later..._

Klaus stood by the refreshment table, helping himself to some champagne. He had come to the ball because he had donated one of his paintings to the hospital. Well, that wasn't the real reason he had come tonight, though it counted as one of the reasons. No, he had come here tonight in hopes of running into Caroline. He had learned from one of the guests that the event was being sponsored by the Hoffman Firm, which meant that Caroline was sure to show up, since she did paralegal work for the firm.

It was while he was drinking the champagne in his hand that he caught sight of Caroline walking in. She was an absolute vision in her gown, which brought out the blue in her eyes. Hell, he thought she was such a vision, in fact, that he didn't give a shit that she was here with Damon, mostly because he wanted to share a dance with Caroline on the dance floor tonight. Smiling, he grabbed another glass of champagne from the table for himself and one for Caroline, making his way over to her.

"Good evening, Caroline. Fancy meeting you here."

Caroline blinked when she heard that familiar British accent and saw... "Klaus, what are you doing here?"

"I donated one of my paintings to the hospital," he replied. "Don't worry, it's not the one I'm doing of you. That one is too personal. No, I donated a painting that I had done several years ago, before I moved here to Chicago. It's a pastoral piece and I think it'll make the children very happy, as well as the parents." He smiled again as he looked at her dress. "You look ravishing in that dress, Caroline."

Caroline blushed. "Oh, uh, thank you."

"No need to be modest, love," said Klaus. "Blue is definitely your color. It brings out your eyes."

Damon, who had been listening to them, cleared his throat and said, "Well, well, what a small world. I didn't know you were going to be here, Klaus."

"He donated one of his paintings to the hospital," said Caroline. "A pastoral piece that he had done several years ago, just before he moved here."

Damon was about to answer her when he heard someone calling to him and looked over to see his boss, Richard Lockwood, one of the senior partners at the firm, standing with a well-dressed couple, and he was waving him over. Excusing himself from Caroline and Klaus, he went over to mingle, leaving them alone. Once he was gone, Klaus heard the orchestra that was hired for the evening playing a rather beautiful rendition of "Strangers in the Night," a favorite song of his. Smiling again, he turned to Caroline and extended his hand to her.

"May I have this dance? It's my favorite song."

Caroline wanted to say no, but found it impossible to resist him, especially when he looked so dapper in the suit he was wearing. "Sure, why not? I'm a sucker for Sinatra."

She took his hand and let him lead her out onto the dance floor, where he held her close to him as they swayed to the music. Caroline felt her ears burn as an overwhelming desire swept through her while she was being held in Klaus' embrace. Shit, why was she feeling this way toward him? She loved Damon, right? She wasn't supposed to be feeling like this for another man, and yet, against her will, she was. God help her, she was falling for Klaus.

_This is some predicament to be in,_ she thought. _Here I'm trying to forget about Klaus, not to mention the proposition he made two weeks ago about having an affair, and yet, I can't shake this burning desire for him. Shit, my head is telling me to stop what I'm doing and remember that I'm engaged to Damon, but my heart is telling me that I'm destined for something better with Klaus. Oh God, why does life have to throw such curve balls my way just when I think I'm happy?_

As she completed that thought, Caroline laid her head on Klaus' chest, feeling his heart against her ear. Klaus then leaned down and captured her lips with his in a deep and tender kiss. Caroline returned the kiss after a brief hesitation, sighing into the kiss as it deepened. She was so wrapped up in the heat of the moment that she didn't give a shit if this was wrong.

_**Note: Don't ask where the idea for this came from, I was in the mood for something different. Stay tuned for more!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: Previously, in "The Allure of Darkness," Damon and Caroline attend a charity ball for the Cook County Children's Hospital, where Caroline dances with Klaus and shares a rather steamy kiss on the dance floor.**_

_**Thank you for the great reviews so far! You guys are awesome! No spoilers, just follow along!**_

_Damon's Mansion – After the Ball..._

**D**amon noticed that Caroline was awfully quiet as they sat on the couch and had some wine. In fact, things had been strange all evening, but he didn't confront her about it in front of the other people that were in attendance. Now that they were alone, he had a better shot at asking her why she was acting the way she was.

"Caroline, are you okay? You've been acting strange all night."

Caroline looked up from her wine. "Hmmm? Oh, yeah, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" said Damon. "You never act like this. Is it because I wasn't paying attention to you? If I did, it wasn't intentional. Richard wanted to talk to me and I..."

Caroline placed her index finger on his lips to shush him. "Damon, you don't have to explain. It wasn't your fault that Richard wanted to talk shop all night. That's just an annoying little character flaw he has." She didn't give him a chance to reply, but got up, went to the stereo, took out a CD with Frank Sinatra songs on it, popped it in, and picked the track that had "Strangers in the Night" on it, going over to him and extending her hand, ignoring the fact that it was the same song she danced to with Klaus. "Damon Salvatore, may I have this dance?"

Damon smiled, took her hand, and they walked over to the center of the room, holding each other as they swayed to the music. "How did you know this was my favorite song?"

"Well, when you're with someone for three years, you learn a few things about them," she replied. "Besides, I wanted you to forget about not dancing with me at the ball tonight."

"I noticed that Klaus was keeping you entertained," said Damon. "He really knows how to make an impression on a lady." His blue eyes took on a strange twinkle as he spoke. "He's no doubt made an impression on you, considering he so happened to be at the same places you'd be."

Caroline bit her lip. _Shit, how the hell am I going to explain this to him without sounding like a liar? I didn't tell him about Klaus' phone call, even though he's bound to know about that sooner or later._ "I really don't know what you're talking about, Damon."

"No?" said Damon. "Then, how do explain you two sharing a kiss on the dance floor while dancing to the same song that we're dancing to right now?" He tightened his grip on her arms. "Answer me, Caroline!"

Caroline struggled against his hold, but couldn't break free. "Let go of me! Damon, please, stop it, you're hurting me!"

"Answer my question and I'll let go."

"Okay, yes, we kissed," said Caroline, her heart hammering and tears welling up in her eyes. "But, I had no idea that was going to happen. I thought we were only going to dance and that was it. The kiss caught me off guard."

Upon hearing her confession, Damon let go of her, watching her fall to her knees in front of him. "I knew something was up. I knew from the moment I met him at the office that something had to be going on between the two of you. Why, Caroline? Why him? Damn it, I _love_ you! Doesn't that _mean_ anything to you anymore? You were going to be my _wife_, for God's sake!"

Caroline sobbed. "Damon, I'm sorry. I know you're angry at me, and you have every right to be, but I..."

"Sorry? Sorry?" said Damon. "I see you kissing another man and the best thing you can come up with is sorry? That's not going to _cut_ it, Caroline! I can't believe that you would _do_ this to me! I've been nothing but loyal to you for three years and this is the thanks I get?" He grabbed her arms again. "Look me in the eye and tell me that you don't have feelings for him!"

He got nothing but sobs in response and let go of her again, too angry to be moved by her tears. For a few minutes, there was silence between them, the only sound being Caroline's sobs. Finally, it was Damon who spoke.

"Get out."

Caroline looked up at him. "What?"

"You heard me," said Damon. "I said get out. Get out of sight before I do something I'll regret."

Caroline wanted to say something, but it would only make things worse, so without a word, she shakily got to her feet, got her things, and walked out of the mansion. Once outside, she thought about how she was going to get back into the city since they had taken Damon's Camaro. She thought calling Stefan, but then, she'd have to lie to him too, and she didn't want to do that. She looked through her contacts as she walked down the driveway, when she found Klaus' number, she bit her lip. Did she dare call him? Would it be a desperate move if she did? She barely knew any of the people she went to school with, and she didn't want to bother Bonnie, so calling Klaus seemed to be the only other choice she had.

Sighing, she dialed the number and waited somewhat patiently for him to pick up. Finally, she heard his voice on the other end. "Hello?"

"Klaus? It's Caroline."

"I knew I recognized your number," he replied. "To what do I owe the honor of this call, love?"

"Damon and I had a fight," said Caroline. "I have no way of getting back into the city because we took his car, and I didn't want to call Stefan and have to lie to him about what happened." She sighed. "Could you come pick me up?"

"Of course, Caroline," said Klaus. "If I saved you once, I can definitely save you again. Where in the suburbs are you?"

"I'm outside of Damon's mansion," said Caroline. "Do I need to give you directions on how to get here?"

"No need," said Klaus. "I'm already in the area. I should be there in about five minutes."

He hung up before Caroline could say anything in regard to him already being in the neighborhood. She didn't really care about that right now. The only thing she was concerned about was getting the hell out of here before she got too upset. Five minutes later, as promised, she saw Klaus' Suburban pulling up in front of the mansion. A smile on her face, she climbed in and buckled her seat belt, refusing to look out the window as they drove away.

Before Klaus could say anything, she said, "Can I stay with you tonight? I don't feel like going back to my apartment."

"Of course," he replied. "My home is your home, Caroline."

"Thank you," said Caroline. "Not just for giving me a place to stay tonight, but for everything."

Klaus nodded. He stole a quick glance at her before returning his attention to the road in front of him. Even though she felt like shit, she still looked beautiful. He didn't ask what she and Damon fought about, not only because it wasn't his business, but because he didn't want to upset her any more than she already was. No, he'd wait until she was ready to tell him.

_Klaus' Apartment – 1 Hour Later..._

It was quiet between them as Klaus opened the door to 5M, letting Caroline enter first. In fact, it was so quiet that Klaus felt that unless one of them spoke, he'd go insane. He waited until they were in the living room before deciding to speak.

"Caroline, I..."

He never got to finish because he felt Caroline's lips capture his in a deep, passionate kiss. After a moment of hesitation, he returned her kiss, moaning against her mouth as he then pulled her close to him, running his hands down her body, caressing her ass under the blue fabric of the gown. A few minutes later, he pulled away, their lips swollen from making out.

"Caroline, are you sure this is what you want? I'm all for it, but I need to know if you really want to do this. You and Damon just had a fight and..."

"Klaus, I don't give a shit about Damon right now," she replied. "I want to forget him." She got closer and playfully nibbled on his earlobe as she ran her hand down his body and placed it on his cock, which was rock hard against her palm. "I need this, Klaus. I need you."

Klaus groaned as he felt her feeling his cock with her hand. Shit, she certainly drove a hard bargain, in a matter of speaking. Besides, what kind of man would he be if he didn't grant her request? He pulled her away from his earlobe and kissed her roughly before undoing the zipper of her gown, pushing the straps off her shoulders and letting it fall into a pool on the floor. Once the gown was removed, he took off his tuxedo jacket and shirt. He then threw her over his shoulder and carried her to the living room, where he deposited her onto the couch before following her onto it, kissing her again before reaching behind her to undo the clasps of her bra, leaning down to kiss both breasts and licking the tender nipples with his tongue. Caroline panted as she felt his hot breath on her skin, as well as his stubble, arching her back to let out a scream of pleasure.

Klaus then ran his hands down to the waistband of her panties, pulling them down her legs and throwing them onto the floor with her discarded dress and bra, as well his discarded jacket and shirt. Caroline then attacked the belt, button, and zipper of his pants, pulling them and his boxers down, straddling herself onto his lap, groaning as she felt his cock penetrating her core. Klaus smiled as he began to thrust, capturing her lips again. Caroline returned his kiss and gyrated against him, following his movements exactly. She felt herself getting close to the edge and threw her head back to let out another scream, Klaus letting out his own half a beat later. In that moment, the world seemed to melt away and it was just them. No fight with Damon, nothing.

_**Note: Big update, huh? I planned this all out as I was writing. Stay tuned for more!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: Previously, in "The Allure of Darkness," Damon finds out that Caroline kissed Klaus and, after a fight, Caroline calls Klaus to pick her up and when they get to his apartment, they have a steamy night of passion in his bed.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews so far! **_

_Klaus' Apartment – Next Day..._

**A** soft groan escaped her lips as Caroline woke up the next morning. The events of last night still played in her head and the best part about it was that she had steamy, hot sex with Klaus. God, the things that man was capable of in bed spoke volumes and she wondered if he had wanted to do that from the moment she first walked into his apartment weeks ago. Speaking of, Caroline saw that his side of the bed was empty, and she sat up, wondering where he could've gone. She didn't have to wonder too much because he was seen coming into the room, armed with a tray.

"I thought maybe you'd like to have breakfast in bed."

Caroline smiled. "I would, thank you." She took a whiff as he placed the tray on her lap and walked around to his side, sitting down next to her. "This smells great, Klaus. What did you make?"

"I didn't know what you liked, so I made French toast."

"I _love_ French toast," said Caroline. "I haven't had French toast in _ages_." She smiled. "Thank you for last night, Klaus. I had a great time."

"I did too," said Klaus. "You were and are fantastic."

Caroline took a few bites of her breakfast and looked at Klaus again. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure, love, ask away," said Klaus. "What's on your mind?"

"What happened last night, have you...wanted to do that since I first came to your apartment?"

"It crossed my mind, yes," said Klaus. "But, I didn't act upon my feelings because I know that you're engaged to Damon and I didn't want him to think that the only reason I moved to Chicago was to steal his girl." He lazily ran a finger down her arm and kissed her shoulder. "Why? You don't regret what we did, do you?"

"It's not that I regret it, I just wanted to know if you were tempted from the moment we met," said Caroline. "And I must confess, I had temptations myself, starting from when I came here to begin my painting. Now that I've given into those temptations, I just...don't know what to do now."

"Could it have something to do with Damon?"

"It has _everything_ to do with Damon," said Caroline. "I mean, you didn't see how angry he was last night. It was as if someone had plunged a knife into his chest and laughed sadistically at his pain. Klaus, he's not going to let me go easily. He's going to fight you for me. Hell, he might even _kill_ you."

"Sounds like he's both a lover _and_ a fighter."

Caroline nodded. "He is. Klaus, I'm scared for you."

Klaus saw the scared look in her eyes and gently took her hand in his, kissing the knuckles. "If Damon wants a fight, he's going to get one. I can be a lover and a fighter too."

Caroline nodded again, hoping that Klaus was right about what he said. She didn't want to lose him, especially not after she realized that she was falling for him Clearing her throat, she said, changing the subject, "Can I see my painting?"

Klaus smiled at her, grateful for the change in subject. He got up of the bed, threw his boxers on, and waited as Caroline threw on one of his T-shirts. Once they had themselves covered, they went to the room where the painting was being worked on. Caroline gasped in amazement when she saw just how good it looked so far. Klaus smiled at her reaction, gently pulling her close to him with his arm.

"Do you like it so far?"

"I love it," she replied. "It really looks good. You're definitely talented, Klaus. I have a feeling that I'm going to love it even more once it's complete." She looked over at him. "How lucky am I? I mean, I got to see how talented you are with both a paint brush and in bed."

Klaus smirked as he reached up her shirt to play with her breast, earning him a squeal and a giggle. He found that he liked it when she giggled. It was such a cute sound and he was pretty sure that he'd get used to it quickly.

Caroline tried her hardest to calm herself, but found it difficult with his finger playing with her nipple. Shit, the things he could do to her body were incredible, and she almost hated to compare him to Damon, who was equally as talented in the bedroom. Taking advantage of this, Klaus used his free hand to pull her closer and kissed her passionately. Caroline returned the kiss willingly, moaning against his mouth as their tongues danced. The passion that this man possessed knew no bounds and she had a feeling that she was going to become addicted to it in due time.

"You're amazing, Klaus."

Klaus smiled against her lips. "I don't want to take all the credit, love. You're amazing yourself."

Caroline giggled again and rubbed her body against his, sighing as the kiss deepened. Although she was still scared for Klaus, she was enjoying the moment they were having.

_**Note: Here you go, guys, an update! It's Damon vs. Klaus for the love of Caroline. Who will come out victorious? Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: Previously, in "The Allure of Darkness," Klaus and Caroline have some cute moments together the morning after their night of passion.**_

_**Thank you for your awesome reviews so far! You guys rock! No spoilers, just follow along.**_

_The Hoffman Firm – 2 Days Later..._

**T**here was no mistaking the tension in the air as Caroline walked into the office. She was pretty sure that Damon had told everyone about the kiss she and Klaus shared. _Great, they're going to think I'm the office slut now,_ she thought. _Damon, I know you're pissed at me, but spreading rumors about me? Really? Men don't do that shit._

She walked by Damon's office and found him sitting at his desk. _That's weird, why is he here? I thought for sure he would've been in court? Maybe he didn't get a new client following the fiasco with the last one he had._

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Caroline knocked on the frame to get his attention. Once his blue eyes met hers, she carefully walked into his office, ignoring her pounding heart. It was obvious that talking to him was going to be hard, but she had to try.

"Damon, we need to talk."

"There's nothing to talk _about_, Caroline."

"Yes, there is," she replied. "You're pissed at me, I get it. Was kissing Klaus the smartest move in the book? No, but like I said, it happened. I had no intention of hurting you when we went to the ball. If it looked like I hurt you, I'm really, really, _really _sorry."

Damon snarled at her. "And you think that by apologizing, I'm going to forget the whole thing? Well, you have no idea just how you hurt me, Caroline! It's going to take more than apologizing to make this better!"

Caroline bit her lip. "Damon, I..."

"No, just stop there," said Damon. "I don't hear another word out of you, do you hear me?" He got up from his chair and went to the door, closing it and locking it. "I think you need a demonstration of how hurt I really am."

Caroline didn't time to blink, because she was then pulled out of the chair and shoved against the wall, Damon's body pressed against hers. Shit, this wasn't going where she _thought_ it was going, was it?

No sooner did he push against the wall than Damon press his lips roughly against hers. Caroline let out a muffled scream before pulling away from him. "Damon, what the hell are you doing?"

"Punishing you for what you did," he replied. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't rip your clothes off right now."

Caroline gulped. "You love me, and that's the reason you won't bring yourself to hurt me."

"Not good enough." Damon then ripped her blouse, not caring that the buttons were getting on the floor. Caroline watched what he was doing and tried to think of a way out before he went any further. She saw her opportunity when she felt him reaching behind her to undo the button of her skirt. Growling, she slapped him and kicked him in the groin, hearing his cries of pain as he fell to the floor.

Taking advantage of this, Caroline unlocked the door and opened it, hurrying out to the elevator, riding it to the lobby, where she went to the ladies' room and took off her ruined blouse, covering herself with the jacket she had worn with it. As she looked in the mirror, she hyperventilated and hot tears stung her eyes. Shit, Damon had come close to raping her. She had to get out of here and fast in case Damon regained his composure and decided to come after her.

Her mind made up, Caroline exited the building and went to her car, climbing in and driving away. She didn't care where she went, as long as it was far away from Damon. Quickly, she dialed Stefan's number, knowing that he'd help her. After three rings, he heard his voice on the other end. "Hello?"

"Stefan, it's Caroline."

"Caroline?" he replied. "What's up?"

Caroline sobbed before she said, "I need your help, Stefan."

Stefan heard her sobbing. "What happened?"

"It's Damon," said Caroline. "He...tried to rape me. He was really pissed and..."

"Wait, tried to rape you?"

"Yes," said Caroline. "You know Klaus, the one you found for me? Well, we kind of got involved, and Damon saw us kiss at the charity ball for the Cook County Children's Hospital. I know that I shouldn't have done it, but I..."

She never got to finish her sentence because a car came out of nowhere, hitting the side of her car, sending it swerving out of control. Caroline tried to steer it, but was finding it difficult. Finally, the car skidded to a halt along the side of an old warehouse several blocks from the firm. Caroline coughed as the distinctive, bitter taste of iron associated with blood filled her mouth and brought her hand to her forehead. When she looked at it again, she saw blood. To top it all off, her whole body ached.

"Caroline? Caroline? Are you there?"

Stefan's worried voice shocked her out of her reverie and Caroline slowly reached over to grab the phone. "S...Stefan, get an...ambulance for me."

"I'll call it right now," he replied. "Don't worry, you're going to be all right."

Caroline coughed again, groaning as the pain returned. Great, just what she didn't want. Bad enough she was nearly raped by Damon, but to get in an accident? That was worse. She just hoped that it didn't keep getting worse before it got better.

_Cook County Hospital – Later..._

Klaus had a worried look as he walked into the hospital. He had just heard that Caroline had gotten into an accident and his heart was literally in his throat. He hoped that she was all right, because he hated to lose her, especially not when he was so madly in love with her. He caught sight of Stefan, who was sitting in the waiting room.

"Detective Salvatore," he said. "Where is she? Where's Caroline? Is she all right?"

Stefan gave Klaus a solemn look. "I won't know anything for a while yet. She lost quite a bit of blood." He ran his hand through his hair. "Shit, it's going to be my fault if anything happens to her. Bad enough that asshole brother of mine tried to rape her and now..."

Klaus grabbed the younger man's arms, not giving a shit if he was a cop at the moment because they were both upset. "Wait, say that again. The part about Damon tried to rape Caroline."

"Damon pissed at her because he saw you two kissing at the charity ball for the children's hospital."

Klaus growled. "That bastard! I'm going to teach him a lesson in manners!"

Stefan was about to answer him when they were approached by one of the doctors, a young man about the same age as Klaus with blonde hair that was in a military crew cut and hazel eyes. He looked like he had news for the two men.

"Are you two here for Caroline Forbes?"

Stefan nodded and stepped away from Klaus, who had loosened his grip on him. "Yes, we are. Is she going to be okay?"

"Apparently, someone up there likes her, because she came away from this with a slight concussion, several broken ribs, and a broken arm," said the doctor. "We're just wheeling her into her room now if you want to see her. However, keep it brief. Miss Forbes has been through quite an ordeal and she'll need her rest."

Klaus nodded and, without a word to either Stefan or the doctor, walked off. He was relieved that Caroline had survived her ordeal and the only thing on his mind was seeing her and talking to her. It wasn't long before he reached her room and when he saw her laying in the hospital bed, bandages covering her head and a sling on her arm, he felt tears stinging his eyes. She didn't deserve to be in this condition, and he blamed it all on Damon. He was going to get it when he got his hands on him.

Of course, he discouraged himself from thinking about that right now, because seeing Caroline was more important. He grabbed a chair and sat down by her bedside, taking her good hand in his, squeezing it and leaning in to gently kiss her lips. No sooner did he kiss her than he felt his hand being squeezed and his kiss being returned. He pulled back to see Caroline's blue eyes looking into his greenish blue ones.

"Klaus?"

Klaus placed his index finger on her lips. "Shhh. Don't talk, sweetheart, save your strength. You've been through hell."

Caroline scanned the room with her eyes. "Where am I?"

"You're in the hospital."

"Oh, yeah, that's right, I asked Stefan to call an ambulance," said Caroline. "Shit, this was definitely not what I wanted to happen to me when I woke up this morning." She sighed, but flinched the second she let her breath. "Ow."

Klaus gently ran a finger down her cheek. "Just relax, Caroline. You're safe now."

Caroline smiled at him and closed her eyes. For the next few minutes, Klaus didn't move, just watched her sleep and thought of the ways he was going to make Damon pay for this.

_**Note: I know, I'm evil for doing this, but I got this idea and I wanted to incorporate it into the story. Stay tuned for more.**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "The Allure of Darkness," Caroline gets into a car accident after she escapes nearly being raped by Damon.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews so far! Just got the idea for the next chapter and wanted to post it. No spoilers, just follow along.**_

_Cook County Hospital – Next Day..._

**C**aroline yawned as she woke up the next morning. She had hoped that she was going to wake up in her bed at her apartment. No, scratch that, she hoped to wake up in _Klaus'_ bed, in _Klaus'_ apartment. Sadly, she was still in the hospital, which bummed her out a little. Although she was grateful to have survived her ordeal, she didn't want to be here. She heard the door to her room opening and slowly turned her head toward it, expecting to see Klaus walk in. His presence yesterday was a real comfort to her, especially after she had gone through such hell. However, she was disappointed when she saw Damon walking in. Seriously, hadn't he done enough?

Sighing, she said, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Stefan told me that you had an accident yesterday and I wanted to come by and see you," he replied. "How are you doing?"

"I'm going to be fine, no thanks to you."

Damon saw the angry look on Caroline's face and grabbed a chair, sitting at her bedside. "Okay, I guess I kind of deserved that." He sighed. "Caroline, I'm sorry that this happened to you. I was really angry because of this thing with Klaus, and I lashed out, not thinking of the consequences it brought." He took her good hand. "I love you, Caroline, you know that, don't you?"

Caroline pulled her hand away. "You think that I'm going to forget the way you nearly raped me? It's not as easy as that, Damon. You hurt me, and you don't get a free pass just because you came to see me in the hospital and apologized. How do I know that you're not just saying that to make me forgive you?"

"Caroline..."

"Don't you 'Caroline' me, you son of a bitch," she hissed. "I get that you were pissed at me because I kissed Klaus, but that didn't give you the right to hurt me like that. I came to your office to talk to you, to explain myself, but you didn't give a shit about that. The thing you gave a shit about was how much pain you could inflict on me. If you love me, like you claim you do, you would've at least heard me out instead of forcing yourself on me."

Damon sighed. "I know I should've heard you out and I'll admit that I was an asshole. What can I do to make this up to you?"

Caroline scowled at him. He wanted to make it up to her? How the hell could he possibly make up for something like this? She was about to tell him off when she felt his lips capturing hers in a deep and passionate kiss. Caroline tried to fight it, but reluctantly returned the kiss. After a few minutes, she pulled away.

"Why did you kiss me like that?"

Damon didn't get the chance to answer her because Klaus came in just then, a bouquet of flowers in his hand, as well as a few balloons, one with her name on it.

"You have a lot of nerve showing up here, mate," he said. "Especially after what you did to her."

"Let me guess, you think I was here to finish the job?" said Damon, getting up out of his chair. "I was actually here to try and apologize for hurting her. Of course, my efforts to make amends aren't exactly working in my favor."

"I don't blame her for not forgiving you," said Klaus. "If I were her, I wouldn't forgive you either. It's because of you that she got into that accident in the first place. All she did was try to explain herself to you, but you hurt her in your anger."

"You know, for someone that she just kissed, you're awfully protective of Caroline," said Damon. "I'm beginning to think that you two did more than just kiss." He looked at Caroline and then back at Klaus. "I get it, you're sleeping together, aren't you?"

"So what if we are?" said Klaus. "Caroline needed a man to comfort her because the two of you had a fight, and I was more than willing to provide her with that."

"Did she tell you what we fought about?"

"No, but I didn't ask, not wanting to upset her more than she already was that night."

"We fought about you," said Damon. "I saw the two of you kissing on the dance floor at the charity ball and I called her out on it." He looked at Caroline again and then back to Klaus again. "Let me tell you something, Klaus, she was mine _long_ before you came into the picture. I'm not going to let you take her from me that easily."

"You're welcome to try and stop me, mate," said Klaus. "I'm a lover and a fighter too."

Damon went to speak, but decided that it wasn't worth it, at least not now. Without a word, he walked out of the room. Once he was gone, Klaus looked at Caroline as he approached the bed and sat in the chair. It was quiet until Caroline spoke.

"I'm sorry about that," she said. "I should've told you what Damon and I fought about that night."

"You don't have to apologize, love," he replied. "It doesn't matter now. What does matter is that I'm going to prove to him that I'm the better man for you."

"How are you going to do that?"

"Never mind that," said Klaus. "The thing you have to know is that I'm not going to let him think that he can keep me from having you." He placed his hand on her cheek, massaging it with his thumb. "He may claim that he loves you, but he wants to keep you in a gilded cage."

Caroline said nothing to that, just leaned in and kissed him, the earlier confrontation forgotten.

_**Note: Don't ask where this idea came from, just take it as written. Stay tuned!**_


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: Previously, in "The Allure of Darkness," Damon tries to redeem himself, but Caroline refuses to accept his apology.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews, guys! You're awesome!**_

_Caroline's Apartment – 3 Days Later..._

**K**laus helped Caroline with the door as they entered her apartment together. After spending three days in the hospital, Caroline was finally released, and it filled her with relief to know that she would be sleeping in her own bed for a change, as well as eating her own meals. As she walked in, it was also a relief not to see Damon. His visit a few days ago was torture enough for one lifetime.

The tension in the room was so thick that one could cut through it with a knife. Finally, Klaus spoke, since he could see that Caroline didn't want to be here. "You know, love, there's plenty of room at _my_ apartment if you want to stay with me."

Caroline looked at him. "I appreciate the offer, but I don't want to impose."

"You won't be imposing at all," he replied. "It's obvious that you don't want to be here and to be honest, I don't want to be here either. Judging from what went on during Damon's visit the other day, it's no wonder you're as nervous as a bride on her wedding night."

Caroline didn't answer him at first, just considered what he was saying. God bless him, he was offering to let her stay with him at his apartment. Having spent the night there, she definitely wanted to leap at the opportunity to be in his apartment again. After a few minutes, she went over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, carefully pulling him to her.

"All right, Klaus, I'll stay with you. I really don't want to be alone right now."

Klaus smiled and kissed her lightly. "And I won't let you be alone."

Caroline returned his kiss and, excusing herself for a minute, went to get something from her room and then returned with her suitcase, which was packed with a few changes of clothes, since she didn't know how long she was actually going to be staying with Klaus. Of course, she didn't give a shit about that right now. She only cared about getting the hell out of this apartment.

"Come on, let's get out of here," she said. "I don't even know why I wanted to come back."

"Don't worry about it, love," said Klaus. "The most important thing is that you changed your mind and for that, I'm happy."

Caroline nodded and said nothing more as they walked out, locking the door behind them. Upon leaving the building, they went to Klaus' Suburban and drove off to the building three blocks down. Caroline hoped that Damon didn't try anything stupid, like try to call her, because she wasn't in the mood to deal with him. She thought about breaking the engagement off and returning the ring, because such things didn't mean anything to her anymore. She wanted to move on, find happiness with someone else, and that someone else was Klaus.

_I'd hate to do this to you, Damon, but I'm afraid that I've fallen out of love with you, and fallen in love with Klaus,_ she thought. _I know you had your heart set on marrying me, and for a while, I did too, but things don't always go as planned. _

_Klaus' Apartment – Later..._

There was no mistaking the smile on Caroline's face as Klaus opened the door to his apartment and let her in. To her, this was better than opting to stay at _her_ apartment, mostly because she felt safe here. Not to mention the fact that it had come to mean a lot to her since the first time she set foot in it and there was no place she'd rather be than here.

Klaus placed her suitcase down and watched her as she walked further in, smiling at her. He wanted to just take her in his arms and kiss her senseless before taking her to his bedroom and making love to her again and again. However, he didn't know if he should actually do it, since she was still recovering from a car accident and he didn't want to hurt her. Not that he ever could hurt her, but he wanted to be careful.

Caroline laughed slightly as she returned to him. "I'm glad you asked me to stay with you, because I feel much better here than I did there."

"All the more reason I suggested it," he replied. "I didn't want you to feel trapped."

Caroline nodded. "And I'm thankful for it." A seductive smile appeared on her face as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I want you so bad, Klaus. I don't care that the doctors said that I have to wait at least another week before we can have sex again, but I can't look at you without wanting to rip your clothes off."

Klaus smiled at her. Who the hell cares if she had to wait for another week? He was a patient man to a point, and this point had been reached. He pulled her even closer to him and kissed her deeply, picking her up and carrying her to his room, closing and locking the door behind them for privacy. Once that was done, Klaus then carried Caroline to the bed, following her onto the soft, cold sheets, kissing her hotly and exploring her every curve with his fingers.

Caroline moaned against his mouth as she felt what he was doing and wasted no time in helping each other off with their clothes, throwing them on the floor. Once completely naked, Klaus drove his throbbing cock into her core, moaning as he felt how and wet she was.

_**Note: I know, a cliffhanger, but I can't think of anything else to say here. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: Previously, in "The Allure of Darkness," Caroline is released from the hospital and Klaus offers to let her stay with him.**_

_**Thank you for the wonderful reviews! Just got the idea for this chapter and wanted to share it. No spoilers, except the action takes place two months later.**_

_Caroline's Apartment – 2 Months Later..._

**T**he wait was agonizing as Caroline sat on her bed, looking at the cup containing her urine on the bathroom sink. She had just taken a pregnancy test because she was two months late for her period and she wanted to take precautions. While she waited, her heart hammered and her thoughts scattered all over the place, settling on one person: Klaus. The last time she had been with him was two months ago, and it had been amazing. So, if this was what she thought it was, then the answer was obvious. She was startled out of her reverie by the beeping of her watch, signaling the end of the long wait and for her to look at the test strip to see what the result was. Inhaling and exhaling deeply, Caroline walked into the bathroom, took the test strip out of the cup. Sure enough, it was blue.

_I'm pregnant,_ she thought. _I'm pregnant, and Klaus is the father. It's obvious, because he was the only one I was with two months ago. Great, I can just imagine how Damon is going to take this, especially since he's determined to come between us._

No sooner did she finish that thought than a knock came at her door. Scowling curiously, she slowly emerged from her bedroom and went toward the door. "Who is it?"

"It's Damon."

_Speak of the devil._ Caroline sighed and went to the door, opening it to see Damon standing there. "What do you want, Damon? I think I made it clear at the hospital that..."

"I _know_ what you made clear," he replied. "But, I also know that even though you're sleeping with that artist boyfriend of yours, you're still engaged to me. Or did you forget about the announcement in the paper and all the planning that was put into it?"

"No, I didn't," said Caroline. "In fact, Damon, as pissed as I am at you, I'm glad you're here. I think we need to talk about that." She stepped back and opened the door further. "Come on in."

Damon nodded and walked in. Caroline scowled as she shut the door behind him. She maintained her scowl as she then walked toward the living room, Damon following her. She wondered how she was going to break this to him, especially since she had seen firsthand how jealous he had gotten of her relationship with Klaus.

Once they were in the living room, Caroline slowly sat down on the couch, Damon taking his seat on the love seat. For a few minutes, there was a silence between them as she thought about what to say. Finally, after a long enough hesitation, she decided to just rip the Band-Aid off and come out with what needed to be said.

"Damon, I can't marry you. I know that we've planning it for months, but..."

"Can't marry me?" he replied. "Why the hell not?"

"_You_ know why," said Caroline. "I've fallen in love with Klaus. Yes, you heard me correctly, so don't ask if you did. I didn't plan on falling in love with him, it just happened."

Damon said nothing at first, just considered what she had said. Finally, he stood up, running a hand through his hair, not sure how to react. Caroline raised an eyebrow at this. Why the hell hadn't the yelling started yet? She was expecting a more dramatic reaction than that, but got nothing but silence. Hell, she expected him to have the same reaction he had the night of the charity ball, when he had seen her and Klaus kissing on the dance floor.

"Aren't you going to say anything?"

Damon looked at her, a fire in his blue eyes. "What do you want to say, Caroline? Huh? That I'm happy that you fell in love with some guy that only just recently came into your life?" He sighed. "What can he _possibly_ offer you? How is he going to support you?"

"For your information, he makes quite a bit of money from his paintings," said Caroline. "So, you can't compare yourself to him financially."

"Why are you doing this to me, Caroline?" said Damon. "Didn't I make you happy? _I_ thought I did. I never _once_ gave you a reason to doubt my love for you, and now, that all goes and changes." He went over to her and grabbed her arms. "I could've given you everything your heart desired. There's nothing I could've given you, and nothing I would deny you. Tell me, Caroline, tell me why you'd rather be with him than with me."

She was about to answer him when he quickly added, "No, don't answer that, because I know what your answer will be."

"I'm sorry, Damon," said Caroline. "I know that it's not enough, but that's all I have to say."

There was another silence between them as Damon continued to hold her. Then, from out of nowhere, he said, "No, I won't accept this. I refuse to accept this. The wedding will still be held as planned."

"Damon, you can't do that," said Caroline. "I already said I can't marry you, and I meant it."

"Yes, I heard you, but that doesn't mean that I'm going to let you go."

"There's something else you should know," said Caroline. "I'm pregnant with Klaus' baby."

Taking advantage of the silence that followed, she pushed her way out of his arms and ran out of the apartment. She didn't want to be around him right now. There was only one person in the entire city that she could trust at the moment, and that was Klaus. She waited until she got off the elevator to dial his number, waiting for him to pick up. After several rings, she heard his voice on the other end.

"Caroline, love, what a surprise. I was just about to call you and tell you that I finished your painting. Wait until you see it. It's beautiful."

"Klaus, we have a problem."

"A problem?" said Klaus. "Not with the painting, I hope."

"How can there be a problem with a painting I haven't even _seen_ yet?" said Caroline. "Anyway, that's not what I'm talking about. Damon came to my apartment a few minutes ago and he's crazy. He still wants to go through with the wedding, even after I told him I was in love with you and wanted to call the whole thing off."

"It would seem that you were right about him not letting you go willingly," said Klaus. "Where are you right now? I could come to you."

"I just got off the elevator at my building," said Caroline. "I'm coming to you, if that's okay. I could be there in five, ten minutes. There's something I need to tell you anyway, something that can't be said over the phone."

"Wait, love, I've got a better idea," said Klaus. "Meet me in Grant Park in an hour. I'm leaving my apartment now."

Caroline nodded. She knew exactly where that was. In fact, that was where Damon proposed to her, ironically enough. After telling him she loved him, she hung up and headed straight for her car, ignoring her pounding heart. As she drove, she kept thinking about the encounter with Damon. What the hell was wrong with him? How could he expect her to go through with the wedding when she clearly didn't want to now that she had fallen in love with Klaus?

_Maybe he's doing it to save face,_ she thought. _He thinks that unless he goes through with it, he'll bring shame upon his family._

The ringing of her cell phone brought her out of her reverie just then and, taking it out of her purse, Caroline saw that it was Stefan. Putting it on speaker to keep her hands free, she said, "Stefan?"

"I thought I'd call to see how you were."

"I'm fine, all things considered," said Caroline. "Stefan, your brother is crazy. He was in my apartment a few minutes ago. I told him that I couldn't marry him because I had fallen in love with Klaus. I expected him to yell at me and maybe even slap me, but he did the the complete opposite. He still wants to go through with the wedding."

"That's Damon for you," said Stefan. "He doesn't like losing. It's been like that since we were kids."

"You've got to get him to change his mind," said Caroline. "You're his brother, for God's sake, so he's bound to listen to you. He sure as hell didn't listen to _me_ when I tried to explain myself to him."

"Is there something you're not telling me, Care?" said Stefan. "I can't help but get the feeling that there's more to this than Damon being crazy and still wanting to go through with the wedding. Come on, you can tell me."

Caroline bit her lip. Did she dare tell him? She hated to lie to him, especially since he was a detective and he'd find out the truth one way or the other. Still, she already told Damon, so why not tell him as well?

"I'm pregnant, Stefan."

"You're what?"

"You heard me," she replied. "I'm pregnant, and Klaus is the father. I took a pregnancy test and it turned blue."

"Shit," said Stefan. "Have you told Klaus yet?"

"Not yet, but I'm going to," said Caroline. "In fact, just before you called, I called him to let him know about the situation. I'm on my way to Grant Park to meet with him." She sighed. "I just hope that he takes the news well."

"There's no reason why he shouldn't," said Stefan. "This is his baby as well as yours."

"That doesn't make me any less nervous about telling him."

"Just tell him the truth, Care," said Stefan. "That's the only thing you can really do."

Caroline said nothing to that, just nodded and hung up. _Please, God, I beg you, don't let Klaus react badly when I tell him about the baby. I love him and I don't want to lose him._

_Grant Park – An Hour Later..._

An hour later, as promised, Caroline arrived at Grant Park, where she found Klaus waiting for her. Her heart hammered as she thought about how she was going to break the news to him. As soon as she was close enough, she threw her arms around him, Klaus returning the favor half a beat later. He noticed that she was trembling and stepped back, giving her a concerned look.

"Are you all right, love? You're trembling."

Caroline gulped, remembering what Stefan told her on the phone. _Tell him the truth. He deserves to know that you're having his baby. This will give him more of an incentive to fight for you than before._

"Klaus, there is no easy way to tell you this, so I'll just tell you." She took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant."

Klaus blinked. "You are?"

Caroline nodded in confirmation and grabbed his hand, placing it on her belly. "Yes, I'm going to have our baby." She saw that he wasn't saying anything as she held his hand on her belly. "Klaus, please say something. Your silence is deafening."

"Sorry, love, I didn't mean to be so quiet," he replied. "I'm just imagining holding our child in my arms when it's born." He smiled at her. "I'm glad you told me, Caroline, because this gives me another incentive to fight for us. I'm not going to let Damon take you from me, especially not when our child is involved."

Caroline felt tears well up in her eyes as she returned his smile, leaning forward and kissing him. "I love you, Klaus. I love you so much."

Klaus smiled against her lips and returned her kiss. "I love you too, Caroline." He knelt before her and kissed her still flat belly. "I love you too, little one. I'll fight for you and your mother, I promise."

_**Note: Here we go, lovelies, an update! A Klaroline baby has been added to the mix! Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.**

_**Note: Previously, in "The Allure of Darkness," Caroline finds out that she's pregnant.**_

_Klaus' Apartment – After the Announcement..._

**A** whole barrage of thoughts went through his mind as Klaus led Caroline into his apartment following their meeting in Grant Park. Now that he knew that Caroline was carrying his baby, it gave him another incentive to fight for her. He couldn't let Damon win, not when there was an innocent child on the line. He didn't give a shit how he was going to find a way to prevent Caroline from marrying Damon, but he would, one way or the other.

Caroline noticed that Klaus was quiet and immediately grew concerned. "Klaus, is everything okay? You're awfully quiet all of a sudden."

Klaus looked at her. "Oh, sorry, love, I didn't mean to worry you. I'm just figuring out a way to stop this wedding from happening. It's obvious that Damon only wants to go through with it because he feels that unless he does, it would tarnish his family name."

"_You_ can marry me then." Caroline clamped her hand over her mouth, already feeling guilty for even suggesting such a thing. _Damn it, Caroline, when will you learn to keep your mouth shut?_

However, Klaus didn't shoot her suggestion down. Instead, he liked it. "That's not a bad idea, actually."

Caroline blinked as she removed her hand from her mouth. "What? Klaus, how could you _possibly_ think that's a good idea? I wasn't serious when I suggested that you marry me. It just came out before I could stop myself."

"But, I _am_ serious," said Klaus. "Caroline, unless we do this, Damon will force you into a marriage where you'll be miserable and trapped for the rest of your life." He took her hands in his. "We can catch the next flight to Vegas and we'll get married in one of the chapels on the strip. I know it's not exactly glamourous, but what choice do we have? Caroline, I love you and I don't want to lose you..._or_ the baby."

Caroline wanted to discourage him, but knew that it would only fall on deaf ears. She didn't want to lose him either, because he had come to mean more to her than anything else in the world in the short amount of time they had known each other. While a Vegas wedding wasn't exactly the wedding of her dreams, but it was better than nothing. Plus, it would make the baby officially a Mikaelson.

Sighing, she said, "All right, I'll elope to Vegas with you."

"That's my girl," he replied. "I knew you'd agree." He leaned in and kissed her. "Damon can't force you to marry him if you're already married." He took her hand and looked at the ring Damon had given her. "I'm only sorry I didn't propose to you properly."

"Klaus, I don't care about that," said Caroline, returning his kiss. "The only thing I care about is you." She kissed him again. "Though, I would like to see my painting before we go. I believe you told me that it was beautiful?"

Klaus smiled. "Of course."

He then led her to the back of the apartment and opened the door to the room that her painting was housed. When she saw it, Caroline gasped in amazement. Everything about it was tasteful and the way he had put detail into every brush stroke was nothing short of astounding. Klaus smiled again, seeing that she was impressed by what she was seeing in front of her.

"Wasn't I right about it being beautiful?"

"Oh, yes, you were definitely right," she replied. "I love it." She looked at him and squeezed his hand. "Now, how about we head to the airport before I change my mind?"

Klaus nodded and, squeezing her hand back, led her out of the room and out of the apartment so that they could head down to the parking garage.

_O'Hare Airport – 1 Hour Later..._

Caroline let out a groan as she and Klaus waited in the line for the tickets. While it wasn't a slow moving line today, she was in a hurry because she had a wedding in Vegas that she had to get to – her own. "Damn it, can't we go any faster?"

"They're almost to us, darling," said Klaus, noticing how impatient she was getting. "It won't be long now. Just try to relax in the meantime."

Caroline sighed, but didn't say anything, knowing that he was right. Besides, it wouldn't do her any good to have a tantrum. Aside from a few occasions, having a tantrum never really got her anywhere when she was younger, so she doubted having one now would help her, as much as she inwardly wished that it would.

Finally, as Klaus promised, they were next in line and it wasn't long until they got the tickets to Vegas and headed off toward the terminal to wait for their plane.

_**Note: Meh, my thought process is shot, so I'll end Chapter 15 here. Next chapter will deal with the Vegas wedding.**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. **

_**Note: Previously, in "The Allure of Darkness," Klaus shows Caroline the finished painting and then, they decide to elope to Las Vegas so that Damon can't force Caroline to marry him.**_

_**Thank you for the reviews! No spoilers, just read on to find out what I've got planned!**_

_I have died everyday waiting for you  
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you  
For a thousand years  
I'll love you for a thousand more _

_Las Vegas, Nevada – Later that Day..._

**C**aroline was no doubt impressed by the atmosphere as she and Klaus walked along the strip. It had been a very relaxing flight, even though her heart had been in her throat the whole time. It wasn't that she didn't want to do this, she did, but she didn't want Damon to suddenly show up and wreck everything. Judging from the way he had acted earlier, it was clear to her that he was not only crazy, but also jealous. Klaus noticed this and grew concerned.

"Are you all right, love?"

Caroline shook her head. "I'd be lying if I said yes, so I'll tell you the truth. I was a bit worried throughout the flight that Damon was going to show up and ruin everything."

"He's not going to show up," he replied. "In fact, just after we got our boarding passes at O'Hare, I put in a call to Detective Salvatore and told him to keep Damon from following us, even if he had to arrest him on some bogus charge."

"You called Stefan and told him what we were doing?"

"Of course," said Klaus. "I thought that he'd be willing to help us, since he thinks the world of you and everything. I explained the situation to him and although he did think it was crazy at first, he eventually got on board."

Caroline shook her head. "You just never cease to amaze me, Klaus." Not waiting for him to reply, she added, "So, where are we going to have the wedding?"

"I believe I know of a place known as the Candlelight Wedding Chapel," he replied. "My brother, Kol, married his wife, Lexi, there."

Seeing the look on her face, he added, "You look surprised. Why?"

"It's just that I didn't know you had a brother."

"I have _four_, actually," said Klaus. "Finn, Elijah, Kol, whom I've mentioned before, and Henrik. I have a sister, Rebekah. Believe it or not, she's engaged to your friend, Stefan, so you're not the only one marrying into the Mikaelson family."

"Shit, I had no idea," she replied. "Well, I would like to meet your family, if that's possible. And I find it odd that Stefan never mentioned that he was engaged. Hell, I didn't even know he was _dating_ anyone."

"There will be plenty of time to meet my family, love," said Klaus. "Right now, let's focus on our wedding, shall we?"

Caroline nodded. She was definitely curious about Klaus' family. In fact, she was even more curious about the fact that Stefan was engaged to Klaus' sister and never mentioned it. Why would he keep something like that a secret? Engagements are supposed to be shared with friends and loved ones, not kept secret. Unless, of course, there was a _reason_ for the secrecy, like maybe the family didn't approve of the relationship, or maybe they were _already_ married, but were pretending to be engaged to throw everyone off.

_Whatever the reason, I'm definitely not to let this go,_ she thought. _Stefan is going to get such a lecture from me after the wedding. I want to know why he was keeping this from me. I thought we had a better relationship than that?_

_Candlelight Wedding Chapel – That Evening..._

Caroline took a deep breath as she looked in the mirror at the gown she was wearing. Granted, it wasn't exactly like the princess gowns she often fantasized about, but she wasn't concerned about that right now. The thing that was concerning her at the moment was marrying Klaus. When she was ready, she stepped out of the dressing room and into the ceremony room, where she saw Klaus standing up at the altar. She smiled as she then rubbed her belly gently with her hand.

In a soft whisper, she said to the baby, "That's your daddy up there. I love him so much."

That being said, she started walking down the aisle the moment she heard the wedding march being played, the smile still on her face. From his place up front, Klaus saw her coming and smiled as well, knowing that soon, she was going to be his wife and nothing would ever tear them apart, not even that jealous bastard, Damon.

It wasn't long before Caroline reached the altar and took Klaus' hand as they stood before the priest who said to the small congregation, "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Klaus Mikaelson and Caroline Forbes. The bride and groom have each written vows that they will now say to each other."

Klaus squeezed Caroline's hands as he looked into her eyes. "Caroline, when I rescued you from that fire thirteen years ago, I knew that one day, I would meet you again and that we would fall in love. While it was true that I didn't expect that you were engaged to another man when we met, I didn't care, because eventually, you would change your mind and choose me. You are my light, my love, my world, and my best friend. I love you, Caroline, and I promise that from this day forth, I will be devoted to you and love, honor, and protect you all the days of our lives. I'll even be a good father to our baby, whether it be a boy or a girl. With you as its mother, it won't matter. I am proud to stand here before you and become your husband. Whatever the future holds, I hope it will be bright for all of us."

Caroline smiled as she listened to his vows, trying to keep the tears from falling. However, she cleared her throat and began her own vows. "Our journey together wasn't exactly smooth. We've had to face many obstacles along the way, but in the end, it was worth it, because today, I get to stand up here before you and become your wife. You are my hero, my home, my heart, and my best friend. I promise that I'll love, honor, and cherish you until death do us part. I love you so much, Klaus, and I know you'll be a wonderful father to our baby."

The priest smiled at this and then, it came time for the rings. Fortunately, Klaus had taken the liberty of purchasing before they went to the chapel, so he was ready. The priest looked at him and said, "Klaus, place the ring on Caroline's finger and say, 'With this ring, I thee wed.'"

Klaus placed the ring on Caroline's finger, saying, "With this ring, I thee wed."

The priest then looked at Caroline. "Caroline, place the ring on Klaus' finger and say, 'With this ring, I thee wed.'"

With another smile, the priest said, "By the power invested in me by the state of Nevada, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Klaus, you may kiss your bride."

Klaus didn't need to be told twice and pulled Caroline into his arms, kissing her passionately. Caroline smiled against his lips and returned his kiss.

_**Note: Here you go, guys, another update from moi! Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 17**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.**

_**Note: Previously, in "The Allure of Darkness," Klaus and Caroline arrive in Las Vegas and are married in the Candelight Wedding Chapel.**_

_**Thank you for the great reviews! You are awesome!**_

_Next Day..._

**K**laus watched Caroline as she slept, smiling as he remembered the events of last night. The ceremony at the Candelight Wedding Chapel had been beautiful, but it paled in comparison to their wedding night, which had been fun, hot, and romantic. As he continued to watch her, he gently brought his finger to her cheek and stroked it, earning him a soft moan from her and then, her eyes slowly opened. When she met his loving gaze, Caroline smiled and kissed him.

"Good morning, Mr. Mikaelson."

Klaus returned her smile and her kiss. "Good morning to you too, Mrs. Mikaelson. How did you sleep?"

"Oh, I slept really good," she replied, kissing him again. "How about you?"

"I definitely slept well," said Klaus. "And I think you had something to do with that, love." He kissed her again. "Shall I order us some breakfast from the room service menu or shall we venture downstairs for a continental breakfast in the hotel restaurant?"

"Room service sounds good to me," said Caroline. "I want to have a nice, private breakfast with my new husband. Somehow, I don't feel like being around people this morning."

Klaus nodded. "As my darling wife commands. One private breakfast for two coming up."

Kissing her one more time, he turned his back to her and put his boxers on. It was when he had his back to her that Caroline noticed something on his shoulder that she didn't notice the previous times they had been intimate. "Klaus, where did you get that scar?"

"What scar?"

"The one I see on your shoulder," said Caroline. "I never noticed it before and I was wondering where you got it."

Klaus bit his lip. He couldn't believe that she never saw the burn on his shoulder until now. Still, he knew that he couldn't keep it from her, especially not when they just became husband and wife mere hours ago.

"I got it when I saved you from the fire thirteen years ago," he replied. "I was carrying you out of the house when one of the beams fell from the ceiling, landing on my shoulder. It burned like hell, but I couldn't bother with it at the moment, since getting you to safety was more important."

"Oh my God, I had no idea," said Caroline. "Did you ever get it looked at?"

"I _did_, actually," said Klaus. "I went to see a doctor at Mystic Falls Medical Center, the same hospital you were taken to. I got it treated and afterward, I left, not wanting you to know I was there. It wasn't that I didn't want you to see me, I did, but I felt that you had gone through enough hell that night without making it worse for you."

Caroline nodded. So, he had been in the exact same hospital that she was and she never knew about it. "I just wish that I could've gotten to see you that night, though. Maybe it would've helped to make what I was going through seem less scary. That's why when Lydia came to my room, I was disappointed because I half expected to see the man who saved my life, but I got a social worker instead."

"Ah, Lydia Thatcher, delightful woman."

"You know Lydia?"

"Not personally, no," said Klaus. "But, I do know her reputation." He sighed. "I'm sorry I didn't show you my scar, Caroline."

"It's okay, I'm glad I got to see it," said Caroline. "At least I know that one of us has visible scars. Mine are on the inside. I have nightmares about the fire occasionally, the last time being just before I met you. Even after thirteen years, it still hurts."

Klaus gave her a sympathetic smile and pulled her into his arms. "Well, you won't have to go through that anymore, Caroline. I'll make the pain go away."

He kissed her softly and then picked up the phone to call for room service. Caroline smiled at him and then went to the bathroom, taking her cell phone with her. She was happy, even happier than when she was with Damon. Speaking of which, she hoped that Stefan was keeping him distracted in Chicago. There was also the matter of Stefan keeping his engagement to Rebekah a secret, which still kind of irked her. She took her phone and dialed Stefan's number, hoping that he was there. Finally, she heard him pick up. "Caroline?"

"Yes, it's me," she replied. "I need to ask you something."

"Okay," said Stefan. "What is it you need to know?"

"Why didn't you tell me you were engaged?"

Stefan sighed. "Klaus told you, didn't he?"

"Yeah, just as soon as we arrived in Vegas," said Caroline. "So, why did you keep it a secret? I, for one, would've loved to have found out from you instead of from the man who is now my husband."

"Believe me, Caroline, I didn't mean to keep it from you," said Stefan. "The whole thing was Rebekah's idea. She wanted it to be a surprise. Of course, now that you and Klaus know, it's not going to be much of a surprise when everyone else finds out."

"I'll keep my mouth shut, you can trust me on that," said Caroline. "But, I'm definitely happy for you. Rebekah sounds like the perfect woman for you."

"She is. I love her with everything that I am," said Stefan. "I knew from the moment I met that she was going to be the one I would spend my life with." He sighed. "So, how are things with you and Klaus?"

"Oh, things couldn't be better," said Caroline. "He's ordering room service as we speak." Biting her lip, she added, "Were you able to keep Damon distracted? Klaus told me that he called you before we left."

"Don't worry, I took care of it," said Stefan. "I found him in his apartment, drunk off his ass, brought him down to the station and put him in a holding cell to cool off. I tell you, he had a monster hangover when he woke up."

Caroline shook her head. Damon didn't get drunk very often, but when he did, it wasn't pretty, so she was kind of grateful that Stefan took him down to the station so that he could keep an eye on him. "Was he pissed about me being pregnant with Klaus' baby?"

"Yeah, that was the reason he bing drank," said Stefan. "In fact, I was surprised I didn't see a naked woman in his bed. Not that I _expected_ to or anything, I was just surprised."

"It's okay, I get it," said Caroline. "Anyway, I'll let you go before Klaus thinks I fell in."

With that, she hung up the phone and walked out of the room, where a cart with two trays on it was just being wheeled in. She also noticed Klaus smiling at her and he approached her, kissing her knuckles. "Our honeymoon feast arrived, love."

Caroline smiled and allowed him to lead her further into the room and sit her on the bed before pulling the cover off of the dish in front of her. She gasped when she saw what he had ordered for her: French toast, scrambled eggs, fresh strawberries, and orange juice. It was almost like the breakfast he served her the morning after they first slept together.

"Klaus, this is delicious," she said. "It reminds me of the breakfast you made for me."

Klaus smiled again as he uncovered his dish. "All the more reason I ordered it." He sat down next to her. "So, how is our friend, Detective Salvatore?"

"He's good," said Caroline. "He told me that he found Damon drunk off his ass and had to take him down to the station and put him in a holding cell so that he can cool off."

"I'll bet he had one hell of a hangover."

Caroline nodded. "Definitely." She took a few bites of her French toast. "I also found out why he never told anyone he was engaged. Turns out that Rebekah wanted it to be a surprise. I promised that I wouldn't tell anyone about it. You're the exception because we're married and I don't want to keep anything from you."

Klaus nodded as well and the rest of the breakfast was spent in silence.

_**Note: There you have it, the reason Stefan never told anyone he was engaged. Stay tuned!**_

_**ENJOY THE UPDATE AND REMEMBER TO REVIEW!**_


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